







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Welcome to the Diamond Duck, do you have a reservation, sir? | |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | |
| I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | |
| Do you remember the pub's name? | |
| I guess I can meet you there at 20:30, or is it too late? | |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | |
| No, what is that? | |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | |
| Don't worry, we don't do it everyday. | |
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | |
| Yes, that's a good idea. | |
| How are you? | |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | |
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | |